Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-09-09
GAUGE? IN CANADA !!

INTERESTING PIECE OF ANA
TEUR DETECTIVE WORK BY
A STA UNTONIAN.
MIR. s. NJ, WILKES CATCHES CHARTS
CLINEDINsT-CoM At
ToRNEY BRAXTON APPLIES FOR EX-
TRADITION REFUSES TO
COME WITHOUT BEING EXTRADITED.
SC, &C., &C.
On the 18Th of March last, Stanton
was greatly stirred up by the report tina It
the carriage making firm of Clinedinst q
Bodell had failed, and that its members.
G. e. ClinedInst and George M. Bodell,
had fled to escape prosecution for selling
bogus promissorY notes and for forgery.
The specific cases mentioned against them
were the forgery of J. X. McComb's name
to some $25, 600 worth of paper; the rails
ing of note given by A. j. Miller, of
Middlebrook, and the forgery of the name
of ]. H. Koiner. The firm had been in
business in Staunton for eight years, and
Clinedinst was represented as having ad-
mitted to a party that for three years OF
the eight they had been making bogus
paper. Their operations had covered por-
tions of territory in Rockbridge, Nelson,
and Rockingham, and the number OF suf-
ferers who had bought the bogus paper
proved to be large. The wives and families
of the fugitives who were entirely ignorant
of their business affairs, and even of their
flight for some days after they were gone,
left about March 28tn for Shenandoah
county, from which the two men had
come to Staunton and where both of the
partners once resided. Both Clinedinst aud
Bodell had fled to Canada where their FAM
lilies soon joined them.
Since the flight, the Commonwealth At
torney, A. G. Braxton, has been untiring
i'll his efforts to discover the fugitlyes. He
has had several warrants issued and sent
to cities in which it was supposed they
we're, in the United States. A. few days
ago MI. Samuel NJ. Wilkes, the head of a
large furniture establishment here, who
lost some 81 600 by purchasing the bogus
paper, left for tbs North in pursuit OF
trail Of the whereabouts Of the fugitlves.
On Sunday morning last a telegram was
received by MIR. Braxton from MIR. Wilkes,
saying that he had found Cline dinst at
Brantford, small town In the province Of
Ontario, in Canada, situated about 100
miles west of Niagara, and had arrested
him. That evening at 3:27, Chief of Police
Waters took the express train for Bran5-
ford, and ON the same train was MIR. BraX-
ton, who went on to Washington to ar
range at the State Department for the
extradition of Clinedinst by the Canadian
authorities. Monday evening ne took the
train back to stanton. arrived here at
2. M, and at once commenced gather
ing together depositions to be sent on to
the State Department, on which the
foreign authorities could act. Before
Mayor Shelter Monday night, he took
the dispositions of n. Argenbright, w. a.
Culton, P. A. Baylor, Jere Murphy, and
Samuel Wilson. The taking Of the deposit
tions was not closed until O'Clock, anG
Mr.. Braxton just managed to catch the
night express for Richmond, whittier he
went to get requisition from Gov. Lee.
This requisition he took to the State De-
partment at Washington Oh tie first train
that left Richmond, Tuesday, and that
night he left Washington for Canada.
On being arrested upon the charge Of
forgery made by Mr.. Wilkes, Ciinedinst
was taken before Judge Jones Of Brant-
ford, who committed him for eight days
to hear from the State of Virginia. He
will doubtless arrive In Staunton next
week, if exgradited. It is stated that
Bodell, his former partner. is working at
Buffalo. n. Y, and will also he
arrested. He was, however, mainly en-
gagged ss the working man of the firm.
while Clinedinst was Tie negotiator of the
bogus paper.
THE HISTORY OF HOW THE CASE WAS
WORKED UP.
Mr.. Wilkes arrived in Staunton on
Tuesday evening, and the next morning
a representative of the VINDICAToR lad
an interview with him in which he OBJ
tanned the following interesting paftlcu-
lars of the capture:
1t was through the Commonw ealths
Attorney, Mr.. Braxton, that 1 was induc-
ed to take the interest in this Gaze which
1 have taken. He has been very often to
see me and getting me to fnd out points
for him. About three months ago, say
about tbs 1st of July, got MY first trail.
l found cut at Newmarket that CiIGedinst
and Bodel! had located at a certain point
in Canada, but my informant at the same
time said they had since left that point.
Still there was that much gained. | knew
at least where they had .been, so l started
from Staunton on the 23d of August to go
there-St. GATHERINGS, Canada.
ST. GATHERINGS.
When got to st. GATHERINGS about g
P. M. l went to hotel. There / asked
the clerk to telephone for the Chief of
Police. He got answer that the chief
would be up directly, and in a few minutes
a loud step was heard in the hall and the
clerk said "That is this Chief, l know his
walk" And well he might, for it was the
biggest foot ever saw on a mau. The
Chief was named Cummings and was an
Irishman and a clever and jolly one. [
took him to my room where 1 told him
was stranger and in country whose
laws we're not familiar to NE, and l wanted
to he on the safe SIDE in any action took.
had warrants issued by the Mayor of
Staunton for two men, and here were the
warrants He said | might be sure if they
could get any information for me I should
have it. The next morning we started
out to hunt the carriage shops. The sun